Interlude- Brandon Read Online Free PDF Page B

that you advance enough to face me in the Games, little one. When I’m done with you, you’ll be wearing diapers for the rest of your life.”
    Brandon said nothing. Instead, he continued to smile and chew loudly, not appearing concerned that an older and much larger boy was in his face uttering threats.
    “Come on, Lohkam,” one of the other boys said. “Leave the brat alone. He’ll wipe out of trials and be gone before the week is out.”
    “Yeah, Lohkam,” Brandon said. “Leave the superstar alone. Save it for the Games. I’ll never catch up to a smart guy like you.”
    Lohkam glared silently, then straightened up and smiled at his friends. “I hope you do, puke,” he said to Brandon as he walked away.
    Brandon smiled and continued eating. He was just finishing up when a silence swept over the room. Five men walked into the dining hall, casually strolling through the room as if they owned the place. They were talking and laughing as they walked, calling out names and exchanging comments with students. It seemed like everyone in the room knew who these men were, and adored them.
    Brandon leaned over and got the attention of a girl at the table beside him. “Who are those guys?”
    “Those are the A’s,” she said. “The right hand of the A’s.”
    Brandon looked at the men in awe; of course everyone knew who they were. Brandon had never dreamed of seeing them this close up.
    Each year, a group of Centre children turned 18 and were released from the Centre as adults. Their years of training and conditioning often resulted in them entering the military where they excelled over their peers. The best graduates were offered prestigious positions working directly for General Donovan. Each year he selected graduates to fill 20 spots. Not all were filled from this Centre; there were many Centres around the country for the General to select from. The twenty spots were broken down into four groups of five, and named after the body. Five became the right hand, five the left hand, five the heart, and five the soul. Collectively they were known as the Avatar of the General. When it was announced to the public that the General had infiltrated a rebel group and destroyed them, or the General was delivering supplies to assist a starving nation, these elite groups were the ones they were speaking about. No one knew for certain how many Avatars of the General currently operated in the field, but they were given letters to distinguish them. Brandon could recall hearing about Avatar H one time on the news.
    The A’s were the best of the best, and the Right Hand of the General were the top five of that group of twenty.
    That’s who Brandon was looking at in the mess hall; the five most skilled soldiers in the entire world.
    Brandon sat in his seat and silently watched them from the back of the room. It became apparent that the Hand of the General had a leader, and that’s who Brandon found himself watching the most.
    He was a tall muscular man who appeared to be in his late twenties. His skin was tanned with a few white scars visible on various parts of his body; his features were sharp and handsome. His short cropped hair was white and looked stylish despite its messy appearance as it stood up at various angles. Even from this distance the man’s most remarkable characteristic were his eyes. They were a blue colour unlike any that Brandon had seen before, and they twinkled with clever mischief wherever they looked.
    Brandon watched the General’s Right Hand work the room until it was time to go to class. As he stood up to leave the room, he heard a friendly voice from behind him.
    “Nervous on your first day?”
    Brandon turned around to find himself face to face with the man he’d been watching. Brandon wanted to say something witty, but he couldn’t seem to make any sound.
    The man grinned, and continued to speak. He was obviously used to receiving this type of reaction. “I wanted to come over and meet you, young